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San Francisco 49ers Legend Signs One-Day Deal to Assist Coaching Staff Against Saints

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Santa Clara, CA – September 13, 2025
The San Francisco 49ers have announced a one-day contract with Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis, bringing the franchise icon back in a supporting coaching role with the defensive staff for their Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
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This move comes on the heels of the 49ers’ gritty 17–13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, where their defense delivered in the clutch but still showed signs of strain. With a quick turnaround into another physical test against Derek Carr and the Saints’ offense, the timing of Willis’ return could not be more significant.

Willis, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, is remembered as one of the most dominant linebackers of his era. A seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time First-Team All-Pro, he was the heart of San Francisco’s defense throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. His role this week will focus on mentoring Fred Warner and the linebacking corps, sharpening their reads, and instilling the aggressive edge that defined his career.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan praised Willis’ involvement, emphasizing his continued influence:

“His presence brings intensity and belief to our group. When he’s here, the game feels clearer, the energy feels stronger. He led this team with heart and discipline back then, and that same legacy still drives us today.”

For the Faithful, watching Willis back on the sideline is a powerful reminder of the franchise’s proud defensive tradition. At 40, the Hall of Famer still embodies toughness, unity, and the red-and-gold standard. His journey from first-round pick in 2007 to captain of one of the NFL’s fiercest defenses has never truly ended — and on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, it will continue in a new chapter as he helps guide the 49ers against the Saints.

Chiefs Head Coach Announces Chris Jones to Start on the Bench for Standout Rookie After Costly Mistake vs. Jaguars
  Kansas City, MO —The Kansas City Chiefs’ coaching staff confirmed that Chris Jones will start on the bench in the next game to make way for rookie DT Omarr Norman-Lott, following a mistake viewed as pivotal in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The move is framed as a message about discipline and micro-detail up front, while forcing the entire front seven to re-sync with Steve Spagnuolo’s system. Early-week film study highlighted two core issues. First, a neutral-zone/offsides penalty on a late 3rd-and-short that extended a Jaguars drive and set up the decisive points. Second, a Tex stunt (tackle–end exchange) that broke timing: the call asked Jones to spike the B-gap to occupy the guard while the end looped into the A-gap, but the footwork and shoulder angle didn’t marry, opening a clear cutback lane. To Spagnuolo, this was more than an individual error—it was a warning about snap discipline, gap integrity, pad level, and landmarks at contact, the very details that define Kansas City’s “January standard.” Under the adjusted plan, Omarr Norman-Lott takes the base/early-downs start to tighten interior gap discipline, stabilize run fits, and give the call sheet a cleaner platform. Chris Jones is not being shelved; he’ll be “lit up” in high-leverage situations—3rd-and-long, two-minute stretches, and the red zone—where his interior surge can collapse the pocket and force quarterbacks to drift into edge pursuit. In parallel, the staff will streamline the call sheet with the line group, standardize stunt tags (Tex/Pir), shrink the late-stem window pre-snap, and ramp game-speed reps in 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 so everyone is “seeing it the same, triggering the same.” Meeting the decision head-on, Jones kept it brief but competitive: “I can’t accept letting a kid take my spot, but I respect the coach’s decision. Let’s see what we’re saying after the game. I’ll practice and wait for my chance. When the ball is snapped, the QB will know who I am.” At team level, the Chiefs are banking on a well-timed hard brake to restore core principles: no free yards, no lost fits, more 3rd-and-longs forced, and the return of negative plays (TFLs, QB hits) that flip field position. In an AFC where margins often come down to half a step at the line, getting back to micro-details—from the first heel strike at the snap to the shoulder angle on contact—remains the fastest route for Kansas City to rebound from the stumble against Jacksonville.